A conventional slide assembly generally includes a fixed rail, a support rail, a movable rail, a first aid-sliding member connected between the fixed rail and the support rail, and a second aid-sliding member connected between the support rail and the movable rail so that the support rail is movable relative to the fixed rail and the movable rail is movable relative to the support rail. The first and second aid-sliding members use balls as a medium for rolling. When the conventional slide assembly is used on a server frame, a pair of fixed rails is installed to posts on two sides of the rack and a pair of movable rails is installed to two sides of the chassis. A pair of support rails is respectively and movably connected between the fixed rails and the movable rails. The support rails are not removable and the movable rails are designed to be removed from the support rails, such that the chassis that is connected with the movable rails can be removed or pulled out relative to the rack for maintenance purposes.
The movable rails are directly connected to the balls of the second aid-sliding member. However, the movable and support rails must have grooves for accommodation of the balls. The movable and the support rails cannot be shaped in a thin type, and it is difficult to install them in the small gap between the chassis and the posts of the rack.
The gap has to be minimized due to the consideration of maximization of the chassis between the posts of the rack. Therefore, if the movable rails and the support rails are not thin enough, they are not able to be installed to the rack. Especially for those movable rails having grooves for the balls, the movable rails usually extend out from the posts of the rack from the gap when the chassis is pulled out, so that the thickness of the movable rails cannot larger than the gap.
Besides, when the chassis is installed to the rack, the movable rails on two sides of the chassis are arranged to be correspondent to the support rails and the balls of the second aid-sliding member are installed between the support and movable rails. Therefore, the balls of the second aid-sliding member are designed to be maintained at a pre-set position relative to the movable rail and cannot move randomly. When the movable rail is connected with the balls of the second aid-sliding member to install the chassis into the rack, the balls of the second aid-sliding member are moved together with the chassis being pushed into the rack.
Accordingly, if the balls of the second aid-sliding member between the movable rails and the support rails are not existed, the movable rail and the support rail can be easily made thin and the movable rail does not need to precisely connected with the balls of the aid-sliding members, such that the chassis can be easily removed from or installed to the rack.